1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a watch with a calendar mechanism equipped with a month indicator and a date indicator. In particular, the present invention relates to a watch with a calendar mechanism which indicates month by a month indicator arranged on the inner side of the watch and which indicates date by a date indicator arranged on the outer side of the month indicator so that there is no need to correct the indication of the date indicator at the end of a month except for February.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally speaking, a machine body inclusive of a driving portion of a watch is referred to as a “movement.” A watch completed by mounting a dial and hands to a movement and putting the whole into a watch case is referred to as a “complete.” Of both sides of a main plate forming the base plate of the watch, the side on which the glass of the watch case exists, that is, the side on which the dial exists, is referred to as the “back side” or the “glass side” or the “dial side” of the movement. Of both sides of the main plate, the side on which the case back of the watch case exists, that is, the side opposite to the dial, is referred to as the “front side” or the “case back side” of the movement. A train wheel assembled to the “front side” of the movement is referred to as the “front train wheel.” A train wheel assembled to the “back side” of the movement is referred to the “back train wheel.”
Generally speaking, in an analog watch, a “12 o'clock side” refers to the side of the dial where the mark corresponding to 12 o'clock is arranged. In an analog watch, a “12 o'clock direction” refers to the direction from the rotation center of the hand toward the “12 o'clock” side. In an analog watch, a “3 o'clock side” refers to the side of the dial where the mark corresponding to 3 o'clock is arranged. In an analog watch, a “3 o'clock direction” refers to the direction from the rotation center of the hand toward the “3 o'clock side.” In an analog watch, a “6 o'clock side” refers to the side of the dial where the mark corresponding to 6 o'clock is arranged. In an analog watch, a “6 o'clock direction” refers to the direction from the rotation center of the hand toward the “6 o'clock side.” In an analog watch, a “9 o'clock side” refers to the side of the dial where the mark corresponding to 9 o'clock is arranged. In an analog watch, a “9 o'clock direction” refers to the direction from the rotation center of the hand toward the “9 o'clock side.” Further, in some cases, a side of the dial on which some other mark is arranged is referred to, as in the case of a “2 o'clock direction” and a “2 o'clock side.”
In a first type of conventional watch with a calendar mechanism, a 1st date recess for detecting the first date of a date plate and a 30th date recess for detecting the 30th date of the date plate are formed at the same level in the inner periphery of the date plate with respect to the rotation axis direction of a date indicator driving wheel. A date feeding finger and a month feeding finger are provided on the date indicator driving wheel. A 1st day is detected by a 1st day detecting portion of a 1st day detecting lever, and a month feeding finger is controlled by a month feeding regulating portion of a month feeding control device, with no month feeding effected except for the 1st date. When the 1st date is attained, the month plate is fed by the month feeding finger. In the case of a longer month, a shorter month detecting lever regulates the date feeding finger such that the date plate is fed only one day by the date feeding finger. In the case of a shorter month, the shorter month detecting lever can rotate counterclockwise, making it possible to successively feed two teeth of the date plate by the date feeding finger. Only when a 30th date detecting lever is engaged with the 30th date recess to thereby detect the 30th date, and the shorter month detecting lever simultaneously detects a shorter month, are two teeth of the date plate fed by the date feeding finger (See, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2651150).
In a second type of conventional watch with a calendar mechanism, a tooth portion coming into contact with the date feeding finger, the 30th date recess for detecting the 30th date of the date plate, and the 1st date recess for detecting the 1st date of the date plate are formed stepwise at different levels in the inner periphery of the date plate with respect to the rotation axis direction of the date indicator driving wheel (See, for example, Patent Document JP-A-2005-195370).
In a third type of conventional watch with a calendar mechanism, a cutout is provided in a date indicating member, and, only when the date indicating member is at a specific position, is month indication effected by the cutout (See, for example, Patent Document JP-A-54-73667).
A fourth type of conventional watch with a calendar mechanism is equipped with a date driving wheel set, and a year indicator has 24 teeth, which is double the number of months in a year; an intermediate wheel has a first wheel in mesh with the year indicator and a second wheel fixed in position so as to be coaxial with the first wheel, with the second wheel being in mesh with a protrusion arranged on the inner side of a second stage of a date ring at the end of each month (See, for example, Patent Document JP-A-2006-162611).
In the first type of conventional watch with a calendar mechanism, the 1st date recess of the date plate and the 30th date recess of the date plate are formed at the same level, so that the 30th date detecting portion detects both recesses of the date plate, resulting in a rather unstable operation of the calendar mechanism. Further, in this structure, the three control levers, that is, the 1st date detecting lever, the shorter month detecting lever, and the 30th date detecting lever are arranged between the date plate and the month plate, so that the structure of the calendar mechanism is rather complicated, and it is rather difficult to reduce the size of the watch.
In the second type of conventional watch with a calendar mechanism, the 30th date recess of the date plate to be engaged with the 30th date detecting lever and the 1st date recess of the date plate to be engaged with the 1st date detecting lever are formed at different levels in the thickness direction of the movement, so that the thickness of the date plate increases, resulting in an increase in the thickness of the movement.
In the third type of conventional watch with a calendar mechanism, the month indication is effected through the cutout of the date indicating member, so that the month indication is rather small and hard to see. Further, in this structure, the month indication can only be seen on a specific day.
In the fourth type of conventional watch with a calendar mechanism, the structure of the date driving wheel set is rather complicated, and it is rather difficult to attain a reduction in the size and thickness of the watch. Further, in this structure, the month indication is rather small and hard to see.